Old Tom | Frederic Robinson Limited

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Reviews by thepeter:

A - very dark brown, mahogany, slight orange color when held to the light. Head is a combination of tiny and medium sized bubbles that became a film rather quickly, and left a little bit of nice lacing.

S - dark fruit and candy sugar right off the bat. This smells sweeter than it tastes. A bit of brown bread, nuts and metal.

T - Burnt Roasted malt dominate the palate and give way to the dark fruits, raisins, caramel, nuts and booze. A lot of the nuttiness is in the finish and can be a bit bitter. A heavy aftertaste that was not my favorite but not all that bad was also present. The booze was not hiding anywhere which is OK with me.

M&D - Medium Carbonation, and a bit harsh going down. Would have loved it to be a bit smoother and easier drinking, but, HEY! this is a barley wine. So I should stop my Whining.

Appearance: Very dark, almost opaque. No head
Smell: Hints of barley wine, suggests a heavy body
Taste: Like a subtle barley wine, sweet with a hint of biterness in the backgroound
Mouthfeel: More carbonated than barley wines I've tried, leaves a sweet taste and some warmth
Drinkability: One to savour in the winter months

Not sure whether this is a stong bitter or a barley wine. It has a deep, rich taste that relaxes and soothes in the cold winter months.

Appearance: Dark mahogany brown with a tan head that disappears quickly. It is pretty opaque in the light with a ring of foam hanging on the edge of the glass.

Smell: very faint aroma but there is some caramel/prune smell with a hint of hoppiness.

Taste: watery taste that doesn't have any layers. A slight prune/pale malt flavor that disappears quickly. There is a little hoppy flavor in the back of the throat after a sip. It lacks warmth or malt that I would expect in a barley wine or the hops to back it up.

Mouthfeel - Carbonation is low but the body is very thin and slippery

Drinkability: This beers prime has come and gone. It says it is best before L2296 17:13, but I left my Old Tom decoder ring in the pub. I will have to hunt this one down in cask next time I have a chance.

Thanks to tavernjef for mail this one to me, I'm glad I got the chance to taste this one for myself.

A - A deep red ale with some of the nicest carbonation bubbles racing to the top. The bubbles really start from the center of my Struise glass on their way to the top. On top floats a strong beige foam layer.

S - Smells like malt syrup with a touch of sherry.

T - A malty beer, not to sweet though. Little fruitiness in the back. The complexity stays the same, there is no depth.

M - A medium carbonation that fits this British ale perfect. The body is rather full and the bitterness rather mild.

Clear garnet bodied beneath a small sandy foam.
Muted nose of butterscotch, plums, hard water. Likeable but barely present.
Nice buttery caramel base, layered with some plums, beets, raisins, and concord grapes. Cardboard hues are evident, but faint. Hops add some tea notes late. Pleasant, but there just isn't enough here.
Thinnish for the style. Seems more of an Old Ale a la Old Peculier.
Alcohol is totally masked.
This is pretty decent and distinctively British, just not what I look for in a barleywine.

A - Pours thick and dark like espresso with a fine two fingers of dark cream on top.
S - Coffey, toffee, caramel, mocha, mollasses, anything and everything delicious
T - The first thing that hits is the Belgique yeast explosion on my tongue, followed shortly by roasted malts and a smattering of the above scents becoming flavor in addition to sweet pit fruits, namely red cherries.
M - Medium to heavy on the tongue with staying power and warmth from the booze. Extremely pleasant carbonation fits the bill nicely.

Overall: This beer came right out of nowhere and made my night. It is always a relief to find good beers in Okinawa, this being a classic no less.

A: Single finger, cream colored head with various bubble sizes, though mostly very small, approaching nitro size. No visible rising carbonation through an impenetrable darkest brown.
S: Dark coffee/cocoa malt base with a banana/vanilla/alcohol sweetness. The alcohol is fairly present and sits on the pharmaceutical side.
T: My first barleywine and the taste is not what I expected. Alcohol falls more into the background, difficult to describe flavor. Not so beer like, yet it is. It's nice, but the flavor is really, in another place. I do taste a coffeeness in the aftertaste. Very difficult to describe, but nice. Somewhat punchy and sour in the aftertaste.
M: The feel is sort of thick and the mild carbonation is pretty nice.
O: Interesting, different. Definitely try it, it's good but I'm not in love.

Dark reddish-brown hue, fairly deep, modest beige head, sinks to a long lasting collar, no lacing. Lovely nose, malty-sweet alcohol, prunes, candy does lack depth, a touch empty the invitation is modest (but inviting nevertheless). The palate is not as flavorful as I wanted, malty sweet, figs, nuts, candy-sugar, touches of alcohol. Rather dry modest bitterness (more than typical for a British Barelywine). Fairly long finish, pleasant malty-sweet aftertaste. Tasty. Medium-full body, lightly carbonated. This is not the best Old Ale Ive had but Id gladly have it again solid. Try one, if you're new to the style.

11.2 ounce (330 ml) bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a dark reddish/brown color with a half inch light tan head that stuck around a while. There's also a good amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like dried dark fruit, molasses, port wine, and a bit of brown sugar and bananas. It tastes like dried dark fruit, banana, toffee, molasses, port wine, grape skins, and some earthiness. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's slick and smooth with a good amount of carbonation. Regardless if you call this an Old Ale or an English Strong Ale, it's a good brew. I'd buy this one again.

Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a dark clear red amber. Nice two finger light brown head with good retention and lacing. Intriguing aroma of dark malt and fruit. Flavor supports the aroma, sweet malt, dark fruit, distinct molasses, hints of cherry. Complex and fun to drink. Finish rather abrupt, leaving memories of faint dark malts and light hops; somewhat watery in the finish, unlike the main body of the flavor. Slightly oxidized flavors. Medium bodied, approaching, but not quite reaching creaminess. I like a beer that appears interesting and then surprises with an unusual flavor profile and this does both. Nice ale that I will return to. I also enjoyed the chocolate and ginger versions.